CHINA MOVES TO REGULATE ‘DIGITAL HUMANS’ AMID BOOM IN VIRTUAL SERVICES

Sat 04 April 2026:

China is moving to regulate “digital humans” on Friday amid a boom in virtual services.

The Cyberspace Administration of China began seeking public opinions on draft rules for internet services involving digital humans.

Digital humans are human-like virtual beings capable of voice chat and other forms of interaction.

The draft requires that providers of services involving digital humans continuously display a prominent label reading “digital human” alongside such content.

According to the draft, using people’s sensitive personal data to create digital human images will require their informed consent, while consent is also a must to use digital humans with identifiable characteristics of specific natural persons.

It also prohibits inducing minors to become addicted to digital humans through “virtual services that simulate family or intimate relationships, or services that may encourage excessive spending.”

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Lack of genuine emotion and empathy:
Digital humans simulate facial expressions and tone, but they lack true human feelings, intuition, or deep emotional understanding. Interactions can feel flat, robotic, or fall into the “uncanny valley”—almost real but unsettling—which reduces trust, especially in sensitive areas like healthcare, counseling, or sales. People connect less deeply, leading to shallower relationships and potential dissatisfaction.

Risk of deception and misuse:
They enable convincing deepfakes, identity theft, and manipulated content. Malicious actors can clone voices or faces for fraud, misinformation, or scams without consent. This erodes public trust in media, politics, and personal interactions, making it harder to distinguish reality from fabrication. Brands using undisclosed digital humans risk backlash or legal issues if customers feel deceived.

Privacy, ethical, and societal costs:
They often collect vast user data for personalization, raising serious privacy and security concerns. High development/maintenance costs, plus ethical questions around consent and manipulation (e.g., addictive or sycophantic behavior), add up. On a broader scale, they can weaken genuine human connections, increase isolation, and shift power toward tech companies.

In short, while efficient, digital humans risk making interactions less authentic, more vulnerable to abuse, and potentially harmful to human skills and society if not carefully regulated. The core issue: they mimic humanity without being human. Balancing their use with real people is key to avoiding these pitfalls.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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